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Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA)

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Survey Description

The Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA) is a collaborative effort of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The Supplement on Aging (SOA), conducted in conjunction with the 1984 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), served as the baseline for the study. The LSOA is a prospective study with a nationally representative sample comprised of 7,527 civilian noninstitutionalized persons 70 years of age and over at the time of their 1984 SOA interview. The LSOA followed this cohort of older persons through three followup interviews, conducted in 1986, 1988, and 1990. While the baseline interview was administered face-to-face in the home, followup interviews were administered using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI). All interviews were obtained by U.S. Census Bureau interviewers. The interview data is augmented by linkage to Medicare records, the National Death Index, and multiple cause-of-death records.

The LSOA was designed to:

make data on the oldest-old and on people moving into that age group available to the research community,

describe the continuum from functionally independent living in the community, through dependence, including institutionalization, to death,

measure change in the functional status and in the living arrangements of older people,

provide mortality rates for demographic, social, economic, and health characteristics that are not available from the vital statistics system, and

provide measures of health care use for individuals over time.

Data File Contents

The LSOA data file contains information collected from multiple sources: the 1984 NHIS, the 1984 Health Insurance Supplement, the 1984 baseline SOA and all three followup LSOA interviews. It also includes data from Medicare claims records, the National Death Index, and multiple cause of death files. Below is an overview of data file variables at a glance:

National Death Index Match

Multiple Cause of Death Records

Underlying cause of death

Multiple cause of death (up to eight)

Whether an autopsy was performed

Usual occupation

Business or industry

Geographic Coverage

The LSOA sample is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population 70 years of age and over in 1984. Baseline geographic indicators include the four major census regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West), type of primary sampling unit (based on 1970 census), and 1980 county adjacency codes.

Data Availability

The latest version of the LSOA (Version 5) is available on CD-ROM: The Longitudinal Study of Aging, 1984-1990, No. 1 (issued September 1993). This CD-ROM includes all data listed above under Data File Contents , except for the multiple cause of death data. The latter are available on diskettes. Details are provided below. To request a copy of the CD-ROM or diskettes, e-mail nchsquery@cdc.gov or telephone (301) 458-INFO.

Product CD-ROM: LSOA, Version 5

Year

Interview data

1984, 1986, 1988, 1990

NDI data1

1990

Medicare Part A, Hospital record

1991

Medicare Parts A and B, Other Use record

1991

1NDI data include fact of death, date of death, and match status code.

Product Diskettes: Match data

Year

NDI data1

1991

Multiple cause-of-death data

1989

Medicare Part A, Hospital record

1991

Medicare Parts A and B, Other Use record

1991

1NDI data include fact of death, date of death, and match status code.